Casting distance is a performance criteria that has been long recognized as important for fishing rods. Among other characteristics, casting distance dictates line guide placement, rod length, lure weight, and the modulus of the reinforcing fibers used in the rod blank composite.
The fishing rods that have come from research and design into such matters has generally been based on a rod composite rod blank that smoothly tapers from butt to tip, passing through substantially the length of an added handle section ("blank-thru" design). Line guides using one or two attached foot sections are chosen and placed to minimize interference between the line guide attachment locations and the flexural profile of the rod. Single and double footed line guides may both be used on the same rod in locations where interference is minimized.
The increased casting distance made possible by these previous design improvements has extended the effective casting distance of a rod (all other thing being equal. Anglers are able to fish from new locations made accessible to the water from a longer casting distance. Perhaps more importantly and infinitely more difficult to prove, longer casting distances have resulted in an increased action time in the water thereby resulting in an increased catch. Despite the improvements made by the art, there exists a continuing need and desire for a fishing rod design that will, with a given rod length, composite composition, and lure weight, cast the lure further than conventional rods.